The timing couldn't have been better. The downpour that hit the North Coast early this week dumped a lot of rain in the surrounding basins and gave our local rivers a much-needed flushing - and gave the men and women who make their living on the rivers a little time off for the Thanksgiving holiday. It also set the stage for what could be the best weekend of the season for coastal salmon anglers. And remember, I said, "could be." The Smith should be in prime shape by Friday and will likely attract a crowd. If the heart of the run was waiting on big water, the weekend may be epic on the Smith. To the north, the Chetco, after breaching it's banks on Tuesday morning, could be in fishable shape by Saturday, though slides and torn-up access roads could be a problem. Both of these rivers haven't had those "lights out" days yet, whether that's due to conditions or lack of fish, know one knows. But one thing is certain, if you're looking for an opportunity to tangle with large salmon fresh from the saltwater, you'll want to be on one of these rivers this weekend.

Weekend forecast

Thursday and Friday are looking dry according to Reginald Kennedy of Eureka's National Weather Service. "We're going to see some light rain on Saturday, mostly in the Smith River basin where a quarter inch is predicted to fall. We'll remain dry the first part of next week, with the next storm coming on Thursday. It's looking like we may have a wet pattern at the beginning of December," Kennedy added.

Sport crab update

Skippers Phil Glenn of Shellback Sport Fishing and Tim Klassen of Reel Steel Sportfishing continue to report excellent crabbing offshore, with the 10-crab per person limit coming easy. "I think the crabs are getting a little heavier and the number of crabs is impressive," Glenn said. To book a trip with Shellback Sport Fishing call (707) 442-7843. Reel Steel Sportfishing can be reached at (707) 499-4925.

Eel River fish counts

According to the Friends of the Eel River (http://eelriver.org), as of November 19, 1,271 Chinook salmon have entered the Van Arsdale Fish Count Station. The season totals stands at 1,904, comprised of 1,013 males, 578 females, and 313 jacks. On November 18, the single day record was broken when 765 fish were counted.

The Rivers:

All North Coast rivers subjected to low flow fishing closures, except for the Mattole, including the Smith, Redwood Creek, Mad, Eel (main and South Fork) and Van Duzen were open to fishing as of Wednesday. The department of Fish and Game will evaluate flows every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to determine if the flows warrant opening or closing. Be sure and call the low flow closure hotline, (707) 822-3164, to determine if the river is open prior to fishing.

Chetco River

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Chetco was still flowing at 20,000 cfs. With no substantial rain in the immediate forecast, it's predicted to drop quickly. Could be in fishable shape by Friday when flows are forecasted to be around 5,000 cfs. The wildcard will be the access roads and any slides that could keep the water from clearing.

Smith River

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Smith was at 16-feet on the Jed Smith gauge and dropping. According to Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman's Guide Service, the river will still be high, but should fish on Thursday. "The river should be in great shape on Friday and we'll know pretty quickly if there are still salmon around," Coopman said.

Eel River (main stem)

Currently open to fishing and Paul Grundman of Rio Dell's Grundmans Sporting Goods reports the main stem may be fishable by middle of next week. "The river didn't get real big, so it may clear a little quicker. The key will be how much dirty water is coming out of the South Fork," Grundman added.

Eel River (South Fork)

Currently open but muddy. It crested at just over 3,000 cfs on the Miranda gauge Wednesday morning, but is predicted to drop quickly. According to Darren Brown of Brown's Sporting Goods in Garberville, the river will drop quick because it didn't get that big. "Above the East Branch in the Benbow area should fish by Saturday and the Miranda area may drop in by late in the weekend," Brown said.

Van Duzen River

Currently open to fishing, and according to Grundman, could fish by late in the weekend. As of Wednesday afternoon, it was flowing at just under 4,000 cfs and forecasted to drop quickly.

Mad River

Currently open to fishing and just over nine feet as of Wednesday. According to Gary Blasi of Arcata's Mad River Tackle, there's been a few hatchery steelhead caught this past week. "This early in the year, it's hard to say how fast the river will clear. My guess is it will be fishable by Sunday or early next week at the latest," Blasi added.

Upper Trinity

The Trinity finally received some much-needed rain earlier in the week, which really put the steelhead on the move reports Steve Huber of Steve Huber's Guide Service. "The upper river crested on Tuesday and I'd expect the lower to be on the drop in the next couple days. In the Douglas City area, the waster colored up a little, but still had that nice green tint. There were lots of debris, leaves and logs coming down on Tuesday. The fish are definitely on the move now after being stuck in the same holes for quite awhile. I'd expect to see a lot of new fish moving into the upper area the next few days. Conditions look excellent for this weekend," Huber added.

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